Please help my stove only seems to draw with the doors open

[botherbys]

I could really do with some sound advise here. I have a Vermont Castings Intrepid I and the bloody thing always dies with the doors shut with the vent at the back fully open. It's not even that good with doors open. Admittedly i have installed it myself but the chimney has been swept it does not need lining and it was tested to make sure it draws sufficiently, which it does. I thought i would have solved the problem as there was no registration plate but i have just gone to great lengths and fitted one sealing off the chimneyand all the connecting flues. Only this evening i eagerly lit my first fire of the Winter fizzing with anticipation only to be have my hopes dashed as when i shut the door, instead of the fire roaring merrily it started to slowly die. Could it be something to do with the vent being at the back of the stove. I know it's clear as i've had the hoover up there and cleaned it. I'm really stressed over this as i'm a tree surgeon and have a limitless amount of wood at my disposal and this stove just aint cutting the mustard. It barely heats the front room when it should be heating the whole of the downstairs. Any advise would be greatly apprecieted before i bring out the sledge hammer

 

[Agile]

Is this the first stove you have used?

As you should know wood for stoved needs to be dried for about a year before its used if you want the best heat output.

Different woods have differing heat output and the worst are less than 30% of the best.

Or are you trying to burn green wood?

I am a little suspicious of your DIY installation and most should be notified to Building Control too. It may well not meet the makers expectations.

Tony

 

[botherbys]

Thanks for the reply, i had the chimney looked at by Milborrow Sweeps and they told me it didn't need lining. The wood i am using is all hard woods and seasoned for over a year, i can afford to be choosy about what i burn. The fitting may not be absolutely perfect but the registration plate was made correctly and it is concreted in with flues connected and sealed. As far as i can tell it should be drawing more but, it's far from adequate.

 

[petertheplumber12]

very often an open fire or a stove is not given the same consideration as a gas fire or gas back boiler, but it is an open flued appliance and so it needs adequate ventilation, also the fuel is still capable of giving off carbon monoxide so should be treated with respect. very often these appliances have the ventilation brought in under the floor very close to them, this may help with it drawing. hard wood never burns very vigorously, it is good for keeping in over night, try using a softer wood, for producing heat. it will make the chimney warmer and so it will draw better.

 

[botherbys]

That's all sound arise. Thanks very much. Kind regards Simon.

 

[botherbys]

Surely the stove should burn more fiercely with the doors shut and the vent open though?

 

[petertheplumber12]

try softer wood and then compare the difference, a chimney cannot draw well if it is cool, open flued appliances, gas, wood, coal, all need a warm chimney, use softwood to get it going then change to a mix of soft and hard. all hard wood and it may go out. by the way if you want to avoid sweeping the chimney too often, every night when you leave it to go out or stay in, place a tinned can, empty baked bean, etc on the fire, the oxide that is given off stops the chimney getting coated in tar so quickly.

 

[Corgigrouch]

Are you sure that the primary combustion air flap is opening? they have a funny chain like arrangement that can need adjusting.... Sounds like the primary air isn't opening.... Some of them have a thermostat too is this working correctly?

 

[botherbys]

Yes it seems like a daft design to me, most other stoves have a sliding vent or something similar to the front, nice and easy, but this has a chain link lever at the back but i have made sure that it is open. How does the thermostat work then, would this affect the draw if it is broken or not there.

 

[petertheplumber12]

silly question, but you have got the flue spigot sealed to a closure plate in the chimney haven't you?

 

[Nige F]

can you post some pics Was the flue tested for draw before you fitted the closure ( register) plate ? Is it in an inglenook? Show us the outside of the house/flue too I see that Milborrow are based in Crawley , are you near to the Sussex border ?

 

[botherbys]

The flue spigot is the collar right? it's all connected and sealed with fire cement and this attaches to the registration plate. I'll upload some images. Having said all this, it's burning quite nice at the mo but only with the doors open.

 

[Nige F]

When was the flue last used before the stove was fitted - sounds like you`ve got a flue that`s as cold as a well diggers a r se . Keep the doors open , if it`s burning OK like that - But don`t leave it alone , it could decide to burn rapidly and you might overheat the cast iron The stove is new ( is it) it needs " running in " . Don`t these stove sellers tell you anything

 

[TheVictorian]

What happens if you burn a few sheets of newspaper in there with the door closed?

 

[botherbys]

I bought the stove from an old neighbour, it's prob 10years old i'd think but they hadn't used it for a while. I had it going last winter but without a registration plate and the wood was less seasoned, consequently it really didn't do much to heat the room, wood now seasones properly (mostly ash, cherry, apple and sycamore) and registration plate well sealed etc. When i bought the stove from my old neighbour i remember them saying it burnt better with doors open and the alarm bells should have rang then but i thought it must have been the set up they had. I know many friends and family that have all sorts of different stoves and they seem to be albe to chuck any old crap in and woof up it goes and heats the whole house but oh no not mine. Images coming.